Most of us will have several surgical procedures in the course of our lives.

From dentistry and cosmetic treatments to assisted childbirth and organ transplants.

Surgery is one of the most important sectors in the medical field.

Most of us also know something about the innovations and discoveries of the 18th and 19th centuries, the discovery of germs and the understanding of post-surgical

infection and not forgetting of course the introduction of general anesthetic.

But what are the centuries before these developments in England what was

surgery like for the women and men of the 16th and 17th centuries how were surgeons

trained and what ailments did they treat? How were they regarded?

What tools did they use? Did treatment vary depending on your station in society and means and what was the rate of survival.

With me today is Mr. Michael Crumplin, historian, author and retired surgeon.

Mr. Crumplin has written extensively on the history of

medicine and surgery during conflict as well as acting as a historical advisor

for film.

Mr. Crumblin, welcome to not just the Tudors.

Thank you. Now we're going to be talking about surgery in the 16th and 17th centuries and thereafter so I suppose the first

thing to ask is what do we mean when we use the word surgery in terms of this period what

sort of procedures were being done and how was a surgeon different to a

physician a surgeon is somebody who works with his hands it's a craft and the word is

derived from kir and ergos to Greek words which means work of the hand.

Therefore in olden times in general, surgeons were really designated trade working a craft while physicians were

very well educated men often at Oxbridge because there were very few

universities in these times you know just three English and three Scottish. So physicians were

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